Chelsea chops away

Toby considers how the Chelsea chop helped with the success of the Chelsea Flower Show this autumn

- Toby Buckland

I’VE been so impressed with the Chelsea Flower Show’s one-off autumn slot that it’s made me wonder whether other seasonal fixtures should be tried at different times. Chocolate-wrapped Easter celebrations could move to winter when summer diets are ditched for concealing woolly jumpers. And what about shuffling Christmas to February, so last-minute shoppers like me have more time?

All l know is that Chelsea in autumn worked a treat – although it could be even better. While it was set in the season of mellow fruitfulness, the Main Avenue gardens held a surprising lack of berries and autumn color, largely because most designers had chosen their plants before the spring show had been canceled. This meant that they were stuck with their choices.